Once a month we'll be posting a lesson from Rosemary. These may be hard at times, but not impossible. Remember, the sweetest fruit is always at the top of the tree.
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September's Lesson - 2011

Please be patient and excuse Rosemary if, occassionally, her lessons are not up to date because of her busy schedule. She IS doing her best.
When Rosemary is not able to write a new lesson, please do continue to work on her archived ones.
For more lessons and insights read Rosemary's books, You Own the Power, and A Matter Of Life And Death

Never Say Never

All through our lives opportunities present themselves; when I think back on some of the opportunities I have had and have taken, I realize how fortunate I have been, and how often I have been given the chance to learn and to grow. I also realize that I have often ignored or even turned my back on opportunities that could have given me something special, if I had only had the courage or the sense to take them.

A few years ago I was given the opportunity to go to the ‘Great Barrier Reef’ in Australia. I jumped at the chance and was very excited for the opportunity. Whilst I was there, I was, of course, given the opportunity to swim in the ‘Great Barrier Reef’, but being afraid of the water since I was a child, and only able to swim a little, I said no.

“I could never do that” I said, as I explained my absolute terror of the sea to the friend I was with. She smiled in understanding, and when a group of us went for our first snorkeling exercise later the next day to prepare for the trip, she did not try to persuade me to join in. I sat at the side of the pool watching, my feet in the water, and I wished I had the courage to participate, but I knew I could never be brave enough.

The instructor was a young Australian man with a wide smile and very Blondie curly hair. He was sun-tanned and muscled, and was obviously used to the water. He put everyone through their paces, and seemed happy with the fact that all were at some reasonable skill level and in no danger of drowning. As the lesson ended, my friend swam up to me, obviously happy and excited about our up-coming trip. “It’s such a shame you can’t join in” she said, but I laughed and assured her that I was really OK about it. However, the young and handsome tutor had heard what my friend had said, and he came up to me and tied to persuade me to have a go.

“Oh no…no…no…no…” I said. “I could never do that!”

I will not bore you with further details, but two days later, when we were on our way out to the ‘Great Barrier Reef’ I was sitting on the boat, feeling very scared and extremely ridiculous, and wearing a wet suit.
As it came time for me to jump into the sea, my nerves cracked, and if it were not for the young Australian I would definitely have backed out.

“Don’t worry” he kept on saying to me, “I will hold your hand the whole time, unless you let me know you can do it without me, and even if you let go of me, I promise I will stay next to you. Slightly reassured, but only slightly, I inched my way off the side of the boat and into the sea that was so terrifying to me. To this day I do not know how I found the courage to do it…and to this day I am so glad that I did. If I had allowed my fear to hold me back, I would never have had this amazing adventure, and would never have experienced the incredible beauty of the ‘Great Barrier Reef’.

That experience was such a lesson for me to ‘never-say-never’.

This month I would like you to make a list of five things you have said ‘never’ to, either because you have lacked the courage, or because you have lacked the sense at the time to grasp the opportunity. Ask yourself what the benefits of changing your mind would be. Ask yourself what you might have missed out on if you had said yes instead of no. Ask yourself if you have regretted, even if only a little, that you passed by these opportunities.

Once you have made your list, take a good look and choose at least two things on the list that, if given the opportunity again, you would say yes to.

NOW MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!
Recreate the opportunity…in some way make the opportunity present itself to you.
Example: If I had said no to the ‘Great barrier Reef’, then my task would be to find a similar opportunity, not necessarily in Australia, but somewhere easier for me to get to, but where I would have to put on a snorkel mask and get into the sea.

Life is too short and we have so little time to make the most of our opportunities.
If you have said ‘never…never will I speak to my sister again’…now is the time to change your mind.
If you have said ‘never…never will I go back to school again’…now is the time to reconsider.
If you have said ‘never…never will I’ then you have closed a door. This month’s lesson is to show you that all doors can be open to you, if you only have the courage to grasp the handle and pull.

MAKE LIFE HAPPEN!

NEVER-SAY-NEVER AGAIN!

Talk with community members about your thoughts on this month's lesson, or write us an account of your progress. We'd love to post it in our spotlight section for everyone to read. Good luck and be ready for next month's lesson... For more lessons and insights check back next month and also see our "Weekly Actions," posted, every week here in Own Your Power. Try, too, Rosemary's book, "You Own the Power." for more lessons about owning your power. Get this book and other Books and tapes by Rosemary in our online store.
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